Many oppose move of Metro Ministries

Backers say McArdle-Kostoryz site right for population served

On a small folding table at the front of South Park Middle School's
cafeteria, there were two sign-up sheets - one a petition against Metro
Ministries moving into the neighborhood and the other in favor of it.

The petition against had 216 signatures. The petition in favor had
four names. Such lopsided opinion against the charity's move was made
clear Tuesday at a town-hall-style meeting where at least 300 people
turned out to discuss their concerns.

Meeting organizers hope to petition City Council to pass an
ordinance to prohibit a residential facility such as this one within a
drug-free zone such as a school.

In December, Metro Ministries, a social services organization that
provides job training, meals and beds for the less fortunate, announced
it would be moving a majority of its services to a new location on
McArdle Road only 450 feet away from South Park.

Officials at Metro Ministries have said the new facility would be a
jewel of services to the community, but others disagree.

"No one wants to shut them down. What we're here to talk about is
location," said meeting organizer Roland Garza. "What we're talking
about here is safety, and safety comes first."

Many at Tuesday's meeting spoke about the children that must walk to
and from school every day and the number of homeless they expect will
travel through the same streets to get to Metro Ministries.

Metro Ministries has said that the center, supported in part by
community block grant money, will provide educational training, a
children's library, job search assistance and residential facilities
for the entire community.

"This is where the working poor live," said Metro Ministries
Executive Director Sean Michael Hazuda. "If we are trying to expand
opportunities for the working poor, this is where we need to be."

Garza said many of the services that Metro Ministries is proposing
to offer are already provided at the schools in the area, including
South Park.

Local business owner Ed Hicks stood up in favor of the move. He said
the renovations already had a positive effect on the neighborhood
because the building, which had been vacant for many years, was used as
a crack house and gang meeting center. He also reminded the crowd Metro
Ministries has a rigid screening process to weed out felons, sex
offenders and addicts from its residential programs.

Earlier in the presentation, Garza said the screening process wasn't
perfect. He pointed to a case of an Oklahoma man convicted of not
registering in Texas as a sex offender. The man had listed his address
as 1919 Leopard Street - Metro Ministries physical address.

Hicks told the crowd he'd searched the Internet and found that 13
registered sex offenders live within South Park's immediate area.

Parent Terry DeLeon shouted during Hick's comments that it was easy
for him as a business owner to advocate for Metro Ministries.

"Your business has insurance if something happens to your cars," she
said. "What assurance do I have that nothing will happen to my
kids?"

Hazuda said he would have to take the information back to his board
of directors. He said Metro Ministries would always consider ways the
organization could improve.